ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY LEARNING
THROUGH A UNIFIED CURRICULUM
www.atlec-project.eu
518229-LLP-1-2011-1-UK-LEONARDO-LMP
1
www.atlec-project.eu
GENERAL INFORMATION
Startdate: 01 january 2012
Enddate: 31 December 2013
Duration: 24 months
Target groups:
People with a disability
VET centres, ICT training centres, special and inclusive
education, employment centres, HR departments, etc.
Financial support:
75% EU Subsidy by European Commission, Lifelong
Learning Programma, Multilateral project
2
www.atlec-project.eu
PROJECT CONSORTIUM
Oak Field School and Sports
College (UK) – project contractor
PhoenixKM BVBA (Belgium) –
project coordinator
Αναπηρια Τωρα (Disability Now)
(Greece)
Associazione Italiana Assistenza
Spastici (A.I.A.S.) Della Provincia
Di Bologna onlus (Italy)
Greenhat Interactive Ltd (UK)
University of Athens (Greece)
3
www.atlec-project.eu
• Assistive Technology (AT) is there to help end-users
• BUT: even when barriers to obtain AT devices are
overcome, users often abandon their devices:
• Disregard for consumers' preferences in technology selection,
• Poor device performance,
• Change in consumers' functional abilities,
• Unreliable devices, and difficulty in using devices (lack of
training),
• Environmental barriers, and
• Fear of technology.
See Phillips & Zhao, 1993, Giltin, 1995; Phillps, 1993; Rogers & Holm, 1992.
Starting point BACKGROUND
www.atlec-project.eu
1.Get an understanding of the European
AT market
2.Look at some underlying problems as
identified by recent research
3.Some suggestions for improved end-user
driven approaches
4.How does ATLEC address this?
What is going wrong? OUTLINE:
www.atlec-project.eu
• A total EU population of 501 million*
• An estimated 45 million people in the EU
have a long-standing health problem or
disability (LSHPD)**
* http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu, 1 July
2010
** Data extracted from the 2002 EU Labour Force Survey
(LFS) and the 2004 EU Statistics on Incomes and
Living Conditions
European AT market SOME DATA:
www.atlec-project.eu
European AT market
• Disability rates in working population
• Different definitions of “disability” (6-30% between the Member
States)
SOME DATA:
www.atlec-project.eu
European AT market
• Figures are from 2001, Eurostat
SOME DATA:
www.atlec-project.eu
• People with disabilities - Facts
• Lowest estimate, based on the extremes of currently defined
disablement categories:
• Around 74 Million persons in Europe alone
• Other estimates that take into account:
• People in the so-called hinterland between fully able bodied
and the classically termed disabled, should considerably
raise those numbers
• Disability rates vary
• Different disability definitions and classification
• E.g. defining disability within the context of incapacity to
work, as they do in Poland, while it is functionality in UK
European AT market SOME FACTS:
www.atlec-project.eu
European AT market
• The population in need of AT will increase
• Figures are from 2001, Eurostat
SOME DATA:
www.atlec-project.eu
European AT market SOME DATA:
www.atlec-project.eu
European AT market SOME DATA:
www.atlec-project.eu
• EU AT industry is complex and characterised by:
• a large number of products,
• a large number of SMEs,
• different service provider systems (public health
systems, public social systems, private organisations
and associations dedicated to the AT sector) that are
used to get AT ICT products to the end-users with
disabilities,
• and different reimbursement schemes by national
and local authorities.
Fragmented AT market with a
complex buying process COMPLEX EU AT INDUSTRY:
www.atlec-project.eu
• The variety of actors who participate – directly or
indirectly – in the AT ICT industry
Source: Analysing and federating the European assistive technology ICT industry, Final Report,
March 2009
Fragmented AT market with a
complex buying process
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
MARKETPROFESSIONAL & USER
ORGANISATIONS– Lobbyists– User organisations
FINANCING ORGANISATIONS
– Financing agencies (public and private)
– Social security systems– Insurance organisations
TECHNOLOGY-ORIENTED ORGANISATIONS
– R&D organisations (rehabilitation & technology-oriented)
– Universities– Standardisation organisations– Testing organisations
INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS– Manufacturers– Dealers– Wholesalers
INFORMATION, SERVICE & TRAINING
– Service delivery institutions– Institutional users
(rehabilitation centre, hospital, school etc.)
– End-users
GOVERNMENT & LEGAL ORGANISATIONS
– European Commission– Government at various
administrative levels: national, regional, county and municipal.
AT MARKET PLAYERS:
www.atlec-project.eu
• The medical oriented model:
• Starting point is the handicap where the physician initiates
necessary procedures and must approve the need for listed and
reimbursed AT based on medical arguments.
• The social oriented model
• Based upon national legislation and local and decentralised
execution, and involves national/local agencies that coordinate
the provision and funding of AT, often also after the person
with disability is evaluated by a panel of medical experts (like
in the medical oriented model) to define the degree of
disability, and the access to subsidies.
• The consumer oriented model:
• The end-user has direct contact with a retailer in order to get
his/her AT product (e.g. personal budget).
Purchase of AT by end-
users REIMBURSEMENT MODELS:
www.atlec-project.eu
Purchase of AT by end-
users
HEARING AIDS BRAILLE READERSAPPLS FOR VOICE
COMMUNICATION
SOFTWARE FOR
COMMUNICATION
ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTROL SYSTEMS
AUSTRIA medical social social social social
BELGIUM medical social social social social
DENMARK social social social social social
FINLAND medical medical medical medical medical
FRANCE medical social consumer social + consumer social + consumer
GERMANY medical social social social social
GREECE medical consumer consumer consumer consumer
HUNGARY medical consumer consumer consumer consumer
IRELAND medical + consumer medical + consumer medical + consumer medical + consumer medical + consumer
ITALY medical medical medical medical social
NETHERLANDS medical social social social social
PORTUGAL medical consumer medical + social social + consumer consumer
SLOVAKIA medical social social social consumer
SLOVENIA medical medical medical social + consumer social + consumer
SPAIN medical * consumer social + consumer social + consumer social
SWEDEN medical medical medical medical medical
UK medical social social consumer social
SOME DATA:
www.atlec-project.eu
Purchase of AT by end-
users
Gérard Abramovici: Social Protection in Europe, Statistics in focus: Population and social conditions Theme 3 – 6/2004, p.1-8
SOME DATA:
www.atlec-project.eu
• Knowledge of the disabled end-user
• Knowledge of the diagnostician, prescriptor of product
solutions
• Knowledge of the rules and procedures of different
national service provider systems in Europe, but also
reimbursement schemes
• Flexibility in product design to be able to serve different
geographical markets
Core drivers EU AT ICT
industry BARRIERS:
www.atlec-project.eu
• Lack of knowledge by the marketplace of the types of solutions
available (i.e., not all possible AT ICT solutions are included in
national service provider systems).
• Cost and time needed to navigate the different national service
provider systems in Europe in order to ensure compliance
• Different interpretations of national service provider systems at
the regional level (thereby fragmenting a national market into
regional markets)
• Lack of a coherent social policy for subsidising/reimbursing
assistive technology products and the lack of coordination between
the stakeholders involved.
• High assistive technology ICT equipment prices (i.e., which result
in lower overall sales volume).
Core barriers EU AT ICT
industry BARRIERS:
www.atlec-project.eu
• AT ICT industry in the EU complex
• Large number of products
• Large number of small firms
• Different service provider systems that are used to
get AT ICT products to disabled end-users
• Growing group of people in need of AT, young and old
• Different policies in the EU countries, and regions
Where are we now?
COMPLEX EU AT INDUSTRY:
www.atlec-project.eu
• Surveys and state of the art
analysis conducted in 2009,
2010, 2011
• AEGIS project
• Focus on understanding the
satisfaction of people with AT
usage
• ACCESSIBLE project
• Understanding the accessibility
of EUs public web
• ViPi project
• Understanding the need for
basic ICT skills training
Recent surveys/research
identified barriers END-USERS:
www.atlec-project.eu
• AT industry issues:
• Local language versions of AT software are missing (English
only).
• Compatibility problems arise with AT (voice recognition and
screen reader software) and hardware.
• European research and innovation on AT is characterised as
poor, caused mainly by the insufficient size and the fragmented
nature of the national markets.
• Policy issues:
• Incoherent social policy for subsidising/reimbursing AT
products. Some countries offer full refunds (e.g. Belgium) based
on a reference list, while some cover nothing (e.g. Greece).
• Lack of specialised agencies and staff to assist people with
disabilities in making their choice.
Recent surveys/research
identified barriers END-USERS:
www.atlec-project.eu
• End-user issues:
• Awareness
• End-users are largely unaware of the available AT solutions (albeit
that people with vision impairments seem to be very well informed
about available AT).
• AT that are easiest to obtain are also the ones most abandoned.
• Non-use arises less frequently among people with repeated
provision, compared with first-time users of AT.
• Price
• High purchasing costs for end users are reported as a major barrier
for wider deployment by disability organisations, especially in
those countries where no government support exists (e.g. Greece).
• Prohibitive cost of specialist equipment for visually impaired
people does create a barrier.
Recent surveys/research
identified barriers END-USERS:
www.atlec-project.eu
• End-user issues:
• Mismatch between needs end user and offered AT
• End users are not provided with the required AT, resulting
in a high percentage (up to 30% in the USA) of obtained ATs
being discarded within a year.
• AT that is being offered does not satisfy the actual needs of
the people with disabilities, hence their refusal to use them.
• According to some survey, almost half of the end-users
experience problems using AT.
• This mismatch between the needs of the end users and the
actual AT they are being offered can be directly linked to the
poor assessment of consumer needs and preferences.
Recent surveys/research
identified barriers END-USERS:
www.atlec-project.eu
• End-user issues:
• Lack of training:
• Previous training that is needed to use AT (basic ICT skills
training), and that requires a professional to train the user
to manage and use these devices is often lacking .
• Training is often followed for computer usage, but proves to
fall short of expectations. Users therefore often rely on
friends to help them out.
• There is a lack of (local and accessible) dedicated training in
AT products and their capabilities (e.g. for technical experts,
but also for end- users), resulting in end users having AT
they cannot use to a full extent, or in some cases not at all.
Recent surveys/research
identified barriers END-USERS:
www.atlec-project.eu
• Private AT industry:
• Databases of available solutions
• Detailed description of functionalities, pros and cons.
• Enlisting free, open source alternatives per
commercial solution.
• Basic ICT skills train ahead of AT training.
• The Lisbon Summit identified ICT skills as one of the
new basic skills for a knowledge-based economy.
• Increased awareness training for PwD
Suggested measures to
potentially curb the
situation AT INDUSTRY:
www.atlec-project.eu
• Policy measures:
• A new approach towards “lending” of AT instead of
purchasing.
• Unifying of social support models across EU member
states.
• Unified legislation vis-à-vis EU AT providers
Suggested measures to
potentially curb the
situation POLICIES:
www.atlec-project.eu
• Identified barriers in AT usage in Greece
• Only 4 in 10 PwD aware of AT solutions that meet their
accessibility needs in using ICT.
• 11% of non-users of ICT with a disability believe that their
disability prohibits them from using AT.
• 9% indicates that there is no AT adapted to their needs.
• Non-use of ICT attributed to lack of digital skills for 23% of
non-users with a disability.
• 45% of all participants with a disability believe that using
ICT and AT requires a high level of digital skills.
• Dwindling social support due to austerity measures in
Greece.
Understand the users’
environment CASE STUDY:
www.atlec-project.eu
(e)Inclusion stops where the
beneficiary cannot understand or
afford (ICT Based) solutions.
And don’t forget …
www.atlec-project.eu
ATLEC FINALITÀ E OBIETTIVI
Promuovere lo sviluppo di competenze ICT
AT tra le persone con disabilità all’interno di una
prospettiva di formazione continua.
Sviluppare contenuti, modalità di erogazione
e pratiche innovativi per l’apprendimento
permanente in ICT AT.
Esplorare competenze professionali nuovi
rilevanti per i bisogni del mercato del lavoro:
New Skills for New Jobs.
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www.atlec-project.eu
ATLEC – A CHI SI RIVOLGE?
Persone con disabilità (allievi e potenziali
formatori) che intendono sviluppare le loro
competenze in ICT AT
Formatori nell’ambito delle ICT AT e centri di
formazione, enti di istruzione e formazione
professionale
Responsabili delle Risorse Umane in aziende
che desiderano migliorare le proprie conoscenze
nel campo ICT AT
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www.atlec-project.eu
RISULTATI ATTESI La strutturazione di un curriculum flessibile di
apprendimento in ICT AT che risponda ai bisogni individuali
di ciascuno e di averlo sperimentato in 4 paesi.
L’implementazione di una piattaforma online e mobile per
gli apprendimenti.
Rendere il lavoro più accessibile per le persone con disabilità
tramite la disponibilità di un’apprendimento mirato che
integri soluzioni ICT AT nel percorso di matching
persona-mansioni-ambiente.
Preparare il terreno per un’ulteriore sviluppo delle
competenze delle persone con disabilità in ICT AT.
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www.atlec-project.eu
LE OPPORTUNITÀ OFFERTE DA ATLEC
Un confronto con altre realtà in Europa rispetto alla
formazione ICT AT alle persone con disabilità
L’opportunità di contribuire alla definizione di un
curriculum condiviso fra partner in più paesi
L’opportunità di “personalizzare” e sperimentare il
curriculum e i materiali formativi offrendo nuove
opportunità a persone con disabilità
Rivedere le pratiche operative della rete a supporto delle
persone con disabilità e/o agganciare queste pratiche ad
un modello “europeo” di formazione/addestramento all’uso
delle ICT AT
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www.atlec-project.eu
ATTIVITA’ GIA’ SVOLTE
Comitato tecnico scientifico
Analisi modelli formativi esistenti
Incontri/focus group con persone con disabilità
Questionario fra operatori, formatori, policy
maker
Creazione di un modello di riferimento per la
individuazione di “stakeholder” e “gatekeeper”
Definizione delle specifiche della formazione
Definizione preliminare curriculum
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www.atlec-project.eu
Modello di riferimento per la
formazione: attori e percorsi
Education
Vocational training
Employment
Life long learning + career
Schools
Vocational
training
centres
Carers
Policy makers
Employers +
self
employment
Support needed
AT providers
www.atlec-project.eu
PROSSIMI PASSI
Definire il curriculum di base capace di inserirsi
in questo modello
Definire il manuale per lo sviluppo di percorsi
formativi “su misura”
Sperimentazione
Validazione e disseminazione
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www.atlec-project.eu
AIAS AUSILIOTECA -
ASPETTATIVE Modello di servizio
Percorsi di supporto alle persone con disabilità
(prevalentemente con disabilità motoria, ma non solo) nella
individuazione di soluzioni tecnologiche appropriate.
Appartiene ad una rete di servizi integrati (Provincia, enti
di formazione, AUSL, etc.)
Aspettative
Ripensare la formazione in ICT AT alle persone con
disabilità
Migliorare i percorsi di inserimento lavorativo
Integrazione di nuove metodologie per la formazione nel
modello di service delivery
Sperimentare le nuove piattaforme portatili nei percorsi di
formazione e supporto 37
www.atlec-project.eu
COLLEGATI !
Web site: www.atlec-project.eu
Twitter: Twitter.com/ATLEC_project
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ATLECproject
Contatto:
AIAS Bologna onlus
Giorgia Brusa 38